$1,200 for a lab puppy?

[npaden]

Okay, I've been looking for a yellow lab puppy for almost a year now and can't seem to find what I'm looking for locally.

I've expanded my search and am seeing some shocking prices for some dogs that seem to be top of the line dogs. Right now I'm looking at http://www.bearpointkennel.com/ in Larkspur, Colorado. They have some puppies available, but they are $1,200! Seems crazy to me.

I'm looking for a dog to be a family dog as well as primarily a dove retriever, possibly some quail hunting and also shed hunting and maybe some blood tracking. Just a true all around dog. My thinking is that if I spring for the really good blood lines then maybe it will make up for the fact that I am by no means a good dog trainer.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance. Nathan

 

[huntbux]

Well, I have a yellow lab, she is 2 this February. She is a great waterfowl dog and a great dog for at home with family and friends. I have a buddy that purchased 2 more dogs from the same kennel. His dogs are great as well I have seen them in action and spent many a day with them. The kennel is out of Nevada and has great dogs and the breeders are great people. Take a look, it will also save you a fair amount of money as I only paid $500 for my dog and she only charges $600 if you plan on breeding the dog and want papers. Here is the website:

http://www.cornerhaven.com/

 

[nmelktrout]

Nathan, we meet again. Let me tell you that from experience, a highly bred lab can be the most incredible hunting AND family dog you will ever own. I have a female black out of Dustin Retrievers (Retriever Fever videos from Shaun Dustin) that is murder in terms of drive, trainability, hunting instinct and family loveability. I am convinced that with dogs, you increase your odds of buying a high quality and healthy animal if you do your research on the specific breeding of lines, the reputation of the breeder and are not afraid to pay for a high quality breeding from dogs that typify the traits you desire. A good breeder will match you with just such a breeding. Also, if you want to hunt the low scent desert quail you hunt in NM and TX I recommend getting a dog from proven upland hunting lines. Don't get me wrong though, I've seen a couple of solid dogs come from backyard breedings, but I think the odds are low that you will get a high quality dog from such breeding unless you know both parents well. BTW, that was one hell of a muley buck you killed in NM this year.
-Cody

ps. American labs do much better in the heat than their heavier British counterparts. Just as good in the water, but better for quail and dove.

 

[drahthaar]

My personal opinion is that no amount of money spent on a puppy is a substitute for time with the dog or time spent in the field. Looks like they have all the guarantees and such. My gosh, that is still a pile of money for a puppy, although, most dog people will tell you the price of the puppy is a pittance compared to what you will spend on the dog over the dog's life, which is true.

Aside from the quail hunting, it doesn't look like you need a pointing dog. Were you set on a pointing lab? Seems like the Black Forest outfit has been around a while touting those pointing labs. Never quite understood the whole pointing lab thing myself. Most labs that I have hunted over are basically "boot-lickers", didn't cover much ground comparatively to other pointing breeds so the need for a pointer just isn't there, as flushers are closer working my nature and task.

If you want a shed hunter, I would think about finding a young rescue dog and dedicating it for that.

 

[schmalts]

http://www.gundogbreeders.com/classifieds/22160.html
Here is a starter dog for that same price. Really nice bloodline and she is a pretty dog. Dont know the seller but came across her when I was looking for 2 breeders I would recommend checking out. those are Candlewood labs (Wi) and River Oaks labs, 2 very well known lab breeders.
You said you are no great trainer, all the more reason to get a starter dog. JMO, I can deal missing out on the few weeks that the little pup acts like a baby and cries all night, plus house breaking it for one that is already started up and out of it's terrible 2's stage.
Your wife may not agree... they love that puppy breath

 

[npaden]

Not set on a pointing lab at all, just thinking that they would have a superior nose maybe than just a
regular lab. Quail hunting would be a couple times a year tops and then just covering a small amount of ground. 50 acres at the house where I know pretty much where the birds are going to be and 160 acres where the dog will have to be as much of a flusher than a pointer.

 

[drahthaar]

Have you been to refugeforums.com. I think there is a Texas forum there. Bunch of hard core dog folks there that might steer you to a good breeder. I think I would be helpful to maybe go see some of them work, if they work within driving distance.
Find out where Miller gets his dogs. They definitely do the work for him.

http://refugeforums.com/refuge/index.php

 

[nmelktrout]

No need for a pointing lab. A good upland lab will work scent like a pointer, yet stay within that magical 30-40 yard mark while working birds. Train her on low scent birds and you will have an incredible bird dog. Good basic training and in the words of George Hickox, there are only three words you need to know in order for your dog be a great bird hunter: "Birds, birds, birds." Mix in field time with some good pointers and lots of time in the house and you will have a great all-around dog.

If you want to chase quail over my little female upland just let me know.

 

[npaden]

Have you been to refugeforums.com. I think there is a Texas forum there. Bunch of hard core dog folks there that might steer you to a good breeder. I think I would be helpful to maybe go see some of them work, if they work within driving distance.
Find out where Miller gets his dogs. They definitely do the work for him.

http://refugeforums.com/refuge/index.php

I was hoping he might chime in on this.

 

[belly-deep]

Pups are a crapshoot.

I paid $1,300 for an English Pointer and flew him in from South Carolina. He was worth every penny I'd say. Actually a few hundered bucks for the price of a pup is pretty small in comparison to what you end up spending on a dog over its lifetime.

I've also had a couple really good $500 brittanys from local breeders.

I've done a few field trials and have a good friend who trains dogs as his livelihood. As a result I've seen a lot of dogs and have seen some high-dollar dogs that didn't turn out very well.

As drahthaar said, much of how a dog turns out is based on how its raised. I suspect some of the high-dollar problem dogs sent to my trainer buddy were born as pretty good dogs.

What I'm trying to say is, you're not guaranteed a good dog by spending a lot of money, but don't let price deter you.

I've seen some field trial-bred labs that were absolutely bonkers. Even more wired than most pointing dogs. If you're looking for a family dog, make sure you see the parents and check some references of clients who have their dogs live in the house.

 

[BirdDogWebb]

In most cases if you are paying top dollar for a puppy, it should be a reputable breeder. With out me going to the ir web site. Can they provide referrals? How long have they been breeding ?
I’m not familiar with pedigree of the labs. Do you know the blood line ? Or Do you think you are buying into quality blood lines because of the price?
What age are the puppies ?
Most states require the puppy to be a certain age before the breeder can sale. If puppies are left in the kennel too long it is possible to get bullies or very timid ones from the bullies. At either rate it will take a little more from the trainer (you) to get past their badly developed characteristics from leaving the whole litter together in the same kennel.

How many puppies do they have left ? If they have several and are reaching an older age …. There is a reason.

I would be more concerned about health genetics than their disposition. The most important part of a dog’s life is seven to twelve weeks of age (preschool). The second most important is twelve to sixteen weeks. So it doesn’t matter if it’s the top blood line in the world or how much you pay. If you miss out on that first stage of a puppy’s life, the extent of his learning is hampered and he will never get that back.

Ask the breeder what health problems they have encountered in their breeding and in the puppies. Hip dysphasia, blindness, loss of hearing, cryptorchidism, malocclusion (overbite)
(and again I’m not familiar with lab health issues)

Most breeders offer a health guarantee which in most cases it is useless. If there are any health issues the puppy will be older and most everyone in the family will be attached. There for it will be hard to give up the new pup. Hip’s are x-rayed after 24 months.

If you are picking one sight unseen, the breeder should provide a video with all the pups together. Watch their actions avoid the timid ones (those that sit alone and do nothing) and the bully ones ( those that are always picking on the other guy). Try to pick one that seems to be a loner but very curios about his surroundings.

If you are thinking of having the pup shipped there are age requirements and weather conditions (temperature) that may delay shipment. Remember the most important part of a dog’s life is seven to twelve weeks and don’t leave him with his littermates too long.

Good Luck

 

[npaden]

Thanks for all the input everyone. This is something I've been struggling with for quite a while.

This particular breeder has 1 pup left out of the litter that was spoken for, but the buyer backed out and it just became available. They do the guarantees on hips, eyes, etc., but they seemed pretty pointless to me as well. The breeder I was looking at came recommended pretty highly, but they do have quite a few dogs. I would probably drive to pickup the dog, it's about an 8 hour drive one way.

I've been looking for a while, but have been looking in earnest for about a month now as we lost our oldest dog and our remaining dog is very lonely. The dog we lost was a 15 year old 3 legged half rotwiler half brittney spaniel and our existing dog is a 4 year old rotweiler. I had a very bad experience with an english pointer that was 18 months old that was pretty much dumped on us last year and it was pretty much untrainable. I thought I was decent at training dogs before him, but had to give up after about 4 months with him. I don't want to deal with that again.

 

[montanadogs]

Npaden-
$1,200 ain't bad for a well bred lab. I paid well over that for one of my labs (he comes from one of the top field trial lines you can find) and $350 for the other($350 lab is in my avitar). They both have their strong and weak points. Go to retrievertraining.net. then click on the forum and you will see more info then you could ever imagine on labs/hunting dogs. they have an awesome classified section. The sight hosts the hardcore field trial/hunt test guys who are willing to answer any questions and point you in the right direction as far as good breeders for any price range. Whether you spend $100 or $3,000 you always run the risk of getting that one dog that put a bad taste in your mouth. I'm a part time gun dog trainer and every once in a while run into a dog that just doesn't have what it takes, the clients tell me it's my fault but then later I found out that they ended of spending more money on other trainers and get the same results as I did. However, they made great companion dogs. I will guarantee this though, with a lab you give them a little bit and they give you everything they have and more. Good luck with your pup hunt.

 

[schmalts]

Don't like the looks of the starter dog I posted? Not a bad price if she is what they say. Or are you looking for a young puppy only?

 

[wingman1]

If 1200 bucks for a well bred lab sounds crazy to you then I would think your not ready for one. The purchase price of the dog is the cheapest part of that dog in its lifetime. The best lab I ever had I got for free. I ended up spending 5k trying to save it from cancer and lost. Are you going to train it yourself?

 

[1_pointer]

Got a question for you lab guys if you keep them in the house. How bad are they at shedding?

Though they weren't hunting breeds, I had to put down both of my dogs this year and the house seems empty without one and have thought about a lab.

 

[huntbux]

Shedding, isnt bad, you get used to it. Just got to take the time to clean them and brush them etc. I have dark furniture and the shedding isnt that bad as long as you keep the dog off the furniture. We placed a bed for her in the living room and she walks around the house but does not mess with furniture or couch.

Got a question for you lab guys if you keep them in the house. How bad are they at shedding?

Though they weren't hunting breeds, I had to put down both of my dogs this year and the house seems empty without one and have thought about a lab.

 

[schmalts]

Got a question for you lab guys if you keep them in the house. How bad are they at shedding?

Though they weren't hunting breeds, I had to put down both of my dogs this year and the house seems empty without one and have thought about a lab.

More reason to vaccum the house more often They shed, but not terrible and the hair comes up easy compared to real long haired breeds. Maybe keep in mind what color carpets you have when choosing a dog color. We have light carpet and the yellow lab hair isnt something you see. If we had a black it would show more.

 

[npaden]

Don't like the looks of the starter dog I posted? Not a bad price if she is what they say. Or are you looking for a young puppy only?

I'm a little worried with an older dog after that one bad experience. That one seems a little heavy as well, I've been looking for a smaller sized dog that maybe will end up around 60lbs as an adult.

I would plan on doing my own training, but a started dog actually does sound appealing from the perspective of not dealing with the puppy issues.

 

[1_pointer]

Thanks for the info on shedding. Maybe I'll be a trend setter for here at the fire and get a hunting poodle!